Method and apparatus for recovering lost drill pipe



.lune s, 1954 I F, L. LE Bus 2,680,483;

AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING LOST DRILL PIPE 3 Sheets-Sheetv .1

METHOD Filed May 2, 1949 Jill/lfd ,I vf. MM VM .Suns

INVENTOR E L. LQBUS BY C? /f'o/PA/LCY June 8, 1954 2,680,483

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING LQST PIPE Filed May 2, 1949 F. L. LE Blu 3 :Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. f:- L. Le B U S BY M CM F. l.. LE Bus 2,680,483"

RING LOST DRILL PIPE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVE s sheets-sheet s INVENTOR. F L. LQBUS @www June 8, 1954 Filed May 2, 1949 I ,74K I! Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED STATS ATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS ING LOST DRILL FOR RECOVER- PIPE Franklin L. Le Bus, Longview, Tex.

Application May 2, 1949, Serial No.

4 Claims. (Cl. 164-037) joint provided with an open bore adapted for seating a retrievable restriction plug.

In the rotary method of drilling wells such as oil or gas Wells, the drill pipe is occasionally broken and it is necessary to fish for and recover that portion of the pipe which has been lost in the hole. It is important that the fishing joint is needed because of a cave-in, the opportunity for the pipe to become stuck is greater because the time required for the second trip allows more cuttings to settle and pack around .thelost pipe.

VIEW rihepresent invention is concerned with iishing for lost drill pipe with a knuckle joint provided with a full-opening bore through which inside cutters, measuring lines or logging instruovershot, cut and pulled with only one trip with the iishing string.

An important object of my invention is to provide anew method for shingand for controlling he knuckling action of a knuckle joint,

Another object of my invention is to provide a knuckle joint which will not be operated by mud circulation until the operator desires such knuckengaged expeditiously and, if found to be stuck, may be cut and pulled with one trip of the shing string.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevational of the knuckle joint tion plug Fig. 4

1ns1de cutter lowered into position for cutting a stuck drill pipe.

Fig 5 is a side elevational view of a knuckle position in a hole and hooking the fish lying over to one side of a Washed-out cavity.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a knuckle joint, overshot, and mill guide in operative position for reaming a ledge under which the fish is located.

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevational View of a knuckle Fig. 9 is a partially sectional side elevational View oi the knuckling stem used in the modied knuckle joint.

Fig. 10 is an elevational view of the knuckling stem at right angles to Fig. 9.

Fig. 1l is a sectional view A-A of Fig. 7, illustrating the knuckling cylinder and socket of the modified knuckle joint.

Fig. l2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower end oi the control piston used in the modiiied knuckle joint, illustrating the bevel construction which causes the knuckling action when the piston is actuated.

In the following description the term ulh opening bore will be used to designate a hole as large as or larger than the hole in the tool joints of the fishing string used to run the knuckle joints.

Referring to Fig. l, reference character 2 represents the upper apertured plug or collar oi the knuckle joint. The plug 2 is provided with a bore d having standard tool joint internal threads 4a for connection to the fishing string B. The lower end oi plug 2 is provided with external threads 8 for connection to the sleeve housing it. The bottom of the plug 2 depends inside the sleeve ill and serves as a shoulder l to limit the upward ravel oi a control piston i6, housed within the cylindrical member l. The housing it is provided with threads i8 for enaggement with a connecting collar 2t which is joined to the pivot member 22 by suitable threads i8. The sleeve iii houses the operating parte such as the control piston iE, and the control lever cage 2li in which is disposed the control lever 26.

The upper end ci control piston circuniierentially and provided with a circular flange 2B for retaining a rubber packing ring 30. A full-opening bore 32 extends part way throughout the piston i, and is provided with a shoulder 3d which serves as a seat for the restriction plug described hereinafter. The lower portion oiD bore 32 is of decreased diameter as at 35 and is ordinarily the smallest opening throughout the knuckle joint, but is still large enough for passage of inside cutters, logging tools, and the like. The bottom face 36 of the piston i6 is in vertical alignment with a shoulder 33 oi the control lever 2B. The control lever 25 is hinged by diametrically opposed pins or lugs d() disposed in recesses @il provided in the control lever cage 24. The contact face M of the downwardly estending control lever arm is in alignment for contact with the face iii of the upwardly extending tapered projection i8 of the pivot joint lill. The

control lever 25 is preferably U-shaped and is disposed in the control lever cage 2e so as to provide a full-opening bore therethrough.

The pivot joint et is provided with a ball joint 52 disposed in the spherical socket or recess 5P,

of the pivot body 22. rEhe ball joint 52 is retained i:

in place by the retainer ring E disposed in the lower shouldered portion l of the sleeve it. The ball joint E2 is provided with a latitudinal groove 58 having a rubber packer ring El@ for the purpose of sealing cil mud. or iluid leakage through the ball and socket joint. The ball joint 52 is provided with diametrically opposed circular recesses 52 having an axis passing through the center oi the ball joint 52 and parallel to the plane oi the contact face llt. Driving lugs G4 are provided in the recesses S which serve to turn the pivot joint 59 while permitting the desired knuckling action. The pivot member El! is also provided with a ull-opening bore B6 throughout. At the lower extremity @S of pivot joint 5i! is connected by suitable threads 'i0 to a bottom sub member 12. Spacer washers l are used as shims for the purpose oi orienting tools, such as a wall hook guide hereinafter described. The bottom sub member is provided with a full-opening bore it is grooved n 'i6 and a standard tool joint pin 'i3 for connecting suitable fishing tools to the knuckle joint.

Referring to Fig. 2, an apertured restriction plug till has been dropped through the nshing string S and is seated on the shoulder 35 of the control piston lil. The restriction plug causes mud pressure to build up above the control piston i5 in order to actuate the knuckle joint. The restriction plug 86 is provided with a small bore B2 through the center so that limited circulation oi mud may be maintained to the fishing tools. The restriction plug is provided with a rubber packing ring Sii circuniierentially around the outer periphery. The upper extremity of the restriction plug 8% is of reduced diameter having circumferential serrations 36 adapted for engagement with the restriction plug overshot 53 (Fig. 3) adapted to be run in the string t on a macaroni string Sil or a wire line (not shown) for the purpose o retrieving the restriction plug 80.

Operation of knuckle joint In the event knuckling action is desired during a ishing job, the restriction plug il@ is dropped into the fishing string and pumped down by mud or iluid circulation until it seats on shoulder 34 of the knuckle joint control piston iii. During iluid circulation, the bore 32 of the restriction plug causes an increase in pressure above the control piston it, to move the piston i6 downward against control lever shoulder 3S. The control lever 2G is thereby pivoted about hinge pins dil, and through pressure exerted between contact faces fili and et the control lever 2t causes the pivot joint Eil to be rotated in a clockwise direc tion as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Ii it is desired to remove the restriction plug Sii from the knuckle joint, a restriction plug overshot 86 (Fig. 3) is run in the string on the macaroni tubing lll until the restriction plug is contacted and engaged by the serrated dogs 89 of the overshot. The macaroni tubing 90 is then removed from the hole together with the restriction plug E9.

With the use of my new knuckle joint, having an open bore throughout, important improvements, in the art of fishing possible. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the knuckle joint unit 92 may be run with a drill pipe overshot Sli, and a wail hook guide Se over the drill pipe 9S. After engagement by the overshot S, ii the lost pipe or fish QS is found to be stuck, an inside cutter iii-'i is run on the macaroni tubing Si! through the bore of the knuckle joint 92, and the drill pipe 98, down to the point where it is stuck, such as illustrated in Fig. 4, in order to cut and recover the pipe. Since a full passageway for the inside cutter is provided in the knuckle joint unit t2, it is unnecessary to make a round trip in the well bore with the fishing string toremove the knuckle joint.

Referring to Fig. 5, in the event the lost pipe 9s is lying to one side o a cave-in 6&2, the restriction plug is pumped down through the fishing string S into position against the piston i6, so as to permit the knuckle joint 92 to be operated as illustrated in Fig. 5. The wall hook guide 96 may be rotated with the knuckle joint unit 92 until the fish 9 is caught, as shown, and the fish 98 may be straightened by continued rotation, whereupon the overshot. is lowered into engagement therewith in the usual manner. apparent that, before going into the hole', the wall hook guide S6 must be oriented so as to be for lost drill pipe are v It will be open at right angles to the direction of knuckling by adjustment of the total thickness of the shim Washers 'it (Fig. l).

In the event the fish 98 cannot be caught by a wall hook guide because of a ledge ltd, as shown in Fig. 6, a mill guide ict may be run below the knuckle joint 92, and ove-rshot Sd in order to ream out the ledge and Contact the sh.

From the foregoing invention contemplates the use or a knuckle joint able by means of a together with the well mud pressure. Figs. 7 through l2 illustrate a of my invention wherein certain mechanical details diier from the preferred embodiment of my Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the collar 2, shing string 6, rubber packer ring Si?, restriction plug B and the bottom sub la, together with their detailed ele ments, are similar to the corresponding parts shown in Figs. l and 2. The cylindrical housing |98 encases a pivotal member lill, retainer ring H2, and the spacer cylinder llt, in which is disposed the Ila-t helical the control piston Mil. The housing |98 is provided with an internal shoulder |20 supporting the retainer ring ||2 by the ange |22. The lower portion of the main body It@ is provided with a socket itrl, receiving the circular joint |26 of the pivot member i i9. The joint |25 is clearly illustrated. in Figs. 9, 10 and ll. The joint |26 provides for the longitudinal swiveling action of retrievable restriction plug of retainer ring H2 is curved to mate with the circular joint |25. The pivot member is provided with a full-opening bore |36 throughout and has upwardly extending slightly oiset ears 32 for purpose of contacting the control piston H8 to provide the knuckling action.

The flat helical spring l l is in compression against the retainer ring H2, and the shoulder |34, of the control piston H8. The control piston H is thereby normally held in an elevated piston H8 is provided with a full-opening bore 32, an internal shoulder 34, and the slightly smaller bore S5 for the purpose of seating the restriction plug Sii (Fig. 8) as described in the preferred embodiment. The bottom extremity of ne modified control piston HB has a beveled portion i3d which is in operational contact with the face i3? of the upstanding ears |32 of the pivot member H9. The beveled or angled construction of the contact portion |36 is clearly illustrated by Fig. 12.

With the restriction plug 8i? disposed in the piston H3 as shown in Fig. 8, circulating mud pressure causes the control piston IIS to move downward, thus compressing' spring i6, and knuckling the pivot me ber lil about the axis of joint |26, by bearing pressure between contact faces |35 and its. When the mud pressure is released, compression spring HS returns control piston H3 to its normal elevated position and the pivot member H moves back to a nor mal vertical position, since its center of gravity is below the pivoting axis of the joint i261".

1t will be apparent that the modiiied structure shown in Figs. 'l to l2, inclusive, diiers from the preferred embodiment mainly by the elimination of the control lever 2d of the preferred embodiment. The control piston H8 is modied to provide the tapered face contact with the pivotal member actuation of the knuckle joint.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention is particularly adaptable for retrieving lost pipe or |36 for direct H0 to cause and socket joint emoient sealing to iiuid circulafor a maximum control piston, and restriction plug for the type of tool joint utilized in the washing string.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as heretofore set forth in the speciication and shown in the drawings, it being understood that any modification in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1 .in a knuckle joint apparatus for use with a fishing string in an oil well bore comprising a body having pivotal member disposed in the body, a control piston and a control lever disposed in the body of said pivotal member, said pivotal member, control piston, and having communicating bores therethrough, an elongated plug slidingly disposed in the bore or" the control piston means to limit movement of said plug in said bore, said plug being freely movable in an upward said plug having a bore of small increasing t communicating bores.

2. The method of recovering brokenmoif stuck drill pipe normally lodged in a cavedn of a well bore, which consists of lowering a pivotal movinto the well bore adjacent to the broken off pipe section, knuckling pipe normally lodged in a cave-in oi a well bore, which consists of lowering a transverse swinging fishing tool into the Well bore adjacent to the broken off pipe, knucl'zling the tool for swinging into Contact with the "pipe, retracting the knuokling action of the tool for aligning the oontacted pipe with the well bore, lowering cutting tools through the fishing tool Without removing the fishing tool from the Well bere, cutting the lodged portion of the pipe andi removing it from the Well,

4. The method of recovering broken-off drill pipe from a Well bore, which consists of lewering a fishing tool into the well bore in engagement with the broken-off pipe, lowering cutting tools through the fishing tool without removing the ishing tool from the well bore, cutting a portion of the pipe and removing it from the well.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS Number 

